Desert Rose
by Mizuki Ichigo
Summary: Post Dirge, Vincent reflects on his relationship with Tifa. Told through the POV of Vincent. Concluding piece to Lost Reason and Nervous Breakdown.


_New fic to follow up Lost Reason, and Nervous Breakdown._

_Disclaimer: I am not making any profit at all with this fic, all characters used and settings belong to Square Enix_

_Note: this **is** a song fic and a one-shot_

_Enjoy!_

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Desert Rose**_

_Concrete surrounding…_

_With a single breath_

_They are freezing my heat_

_From the scar, I'm suffering_

'_Cause I'm leaving you, being punished for my sin_

_No one lives forever (forever more)_

_I can't stay anymore_

Time stood still for no one but me, each day- no, each second as I watched her; she became older as I remained the same. Even without Chaos and the other monsters, this accursed body of mine, had my physical twenty eight year old form, yet I was old enough to be her grandfather. She willingly gave her love and time to me, and greedily I took it all…

"Why do you have to leave, Vincent?!" said Tifa as she sat up from our bed.

I stood there silently adjusting the old familiar red mantle, and turning around to look at her moonlit face, I gazed one last time at her haunting beauty. Her rose pedal lips, her ebony hair, and finally her tear filled eyes.

"Why can't you tell me!?"

I then quickly turned and briskly walked to the door.

"Why…?" she said weakly.

I paused and hesitated but decided to tell her, "Because I must."

And without another word I left her crying.

_I'm a criminal_

_Falling out of love_

_Just wanted to know_

_If you really need me_

_I'm a criminal_

_Without a doubt_

_You've got to show_

_If you really need me_

_You're my desert rose…_

I travelled far, further and further to run away from the guilt I had. She deserved better, a monster of a man for a companion? I was no better than the beasts she defeated. Yet, she was still the one I thought of.

_No lights are coming in…_

_But it's not the light_

_Nor the wind I'm missing_

_Wanna hold you in my arms_

_But I'm leaving you, put out of my misery_

_No one cries forever (forever more)_

_You can't stay anymore (hear my calling)_

I dreamed of her, she was always within reach. Teasing and caressing, soft yet firm, yet the moment I touched her face she turned to dust. Slipping through my fingers, forever falling and I did this to her.

"Shhh, it's okay I'm here."

I blinked open my eyes, out here in the Nibelheim Mountains, her hometown nearby, under the thick evergreen trees, I heard her voice. I was dreaming, delirious, insane, it was utterly impossible that she'd be able to find me and yet just hovering within my eyesight, was the last person I would have expected.

"Vincent, it's okay. It was only a nightmare." she said with a loving smile as she brushed back my bangs.

I abruptly stood up and began walking away, "You should not have come."

Before I could counter her roundhouse kick, she had me down on my back. I was about to sit up when she stomped hard on my solar plexus. She then leaned over so I could see her trying to prevent her angry tears from falling, "Why does everyone think that I can't handle anything!?"

_I'm a criminal_

_Falling out of love_

_I wonder how_

_We ended up like this_

_I'm a criminal_

_Always on the run_

_I know I was wrong_

_Let me love you again_

_You're my desert rose…_

I watched as her tears slid silently down her skin. I watched as her knees buckled. I watched as she collapsed onto me shaking and occasionally pounding on my chest. I watched as she cried.

_I_ did this to her.

_I_ made her like this, a mere ghost of herself.

_I'm a criminal_

_Falling out of love_

_Just wanted to know_

_If you really need me_

_I'm a criminal_

_Without a doubt_

_You've got to show_

_If you really need me_

_I'm a criminal_

_Falling out of love_

_I wonder how_

_We ended up like this_

She continued to silently cry.

Each of her tears called to me, like pieces of her heart.

I sat up and gently cupped her face, brushing away her tears.

And again she asked the same question she did on the day that I left, "Why?"

_I'm a criminal_

_Always on the run_

_I know I was wrong_

_Let me love you again_

_You're my desert rose…_

"I am immortal. You are mortal."

"I don't ca-

"But I do."

The unsaid words surrounded us in the forest, neither of us made a move. Stubborn to a fault, we waited for the right words to come to us as we stared at each other. Tifa with her mud smeared cheeks and I sat still grasping her hands and feeling her pulse under my palm….

_I'm a criminal_

She was now forever twenty eight and as beautiful as ever.

The only difference between us now was that, I stole her time.

_I'm a criminal_

_Falling out of love_

_Just wanted to know_

_If you really need me_

_You're my desert rose…_

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_The song "Desert Rose" is by the Japanese J-rock band abingdon boys school. The song is the b-side song to their single BLADE CHORD. Note the format of the song is all messed up, there should be a space before every "I'm a criminal" signaling each stanza of the song.  
_

_This fic will probably conclude the FFVII, abingdon boys school song fic "trilogy"  
_

_What do you think of this one shot?_


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